Secret of the Blue Rose
by Jovian Princess
Summary: An epic tale of love and loss as seen through the eyes of the Ice Senshi. Set in the Silver Millennium during the final age of the Moon Kingdom.
1. Prelude

Prelude: Cerulean Reflections -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Alone at last, Princess Mercury slipped the delicate, ice-blue heels off her sore feet. It was a wonder her toes were not calloused yet after the incredible amount of walking the young princess had done during the last few weeks. Traveling from palace to garden to ballroom in two or three different kingdoms had worn her out. This day in particular had been especially tiresome, and a peaceful moment was all she wished for now.

The Mercurian Princess sat down on the small cushioned stool in front of her polished azure vanity. For perhaps a moment the princess stared into the mirror's crystalline depths studying her reflection carefully: her midnight blue hair pulled back into a barette laced with delicate white flowers, shimmering blue bangs shadowing her pale face. A simple sky blue dress was what she wore; it was quite common to see her in such plain decor, lacking in fancy lace or expensive pearls; her reason being that she didn't particularly like drawing attention to herself. One by one she pulled the silver pins out of her hair as she recollected the days activities.

Several months prior she had been introduced to a young man named Toshi, the son of a Duchess in one of the high realms of Mercury. He was a handsome man, with short black hair and midnight eyes so blue they seemed to reflect a violet hue. He had served in the Imperial Navy as a commanding officer. As a whole Toshi was a nice young man, handsome in face and in heart. Young women of lower classes looked up at him with longing, and even those superior to him looked on admirably.

The Queen, in particular, seemed to look upon him as a jewel, or at least that's what others perceived. Hints had been dropped as to how wonderful a husband he would be, but the princess could not see him as anything more than what he was: a lovely acquaintance. Ami did enjoy his company for a time, but he seemed too young and arrogant for her likings. In conflict with his numerous good qualities, the noble did not care for intellect or fine arts, such as the princess loved. His thoughts drown in the essence of himself, the princess thought. She could never be with a man like that.

Ami was a lovely girl. She was admired for her intelligence, grace, beauty. She was seen as a prize in a young man's eyes. More than once had a band of suitors flocked to her door, some with gifts, some with talents. None of them truly interested the princess. In truth, she did not want to become involved with a person. Leading a life protecting her mistress, Princess Serenity, was all she needed right now. Still, she was eighteen, and her parents thought it high time that she settle down and continue the reign of her kingdom.

But Ami was tired now and no longer wished to think about the events of the past few seasons. She quietly undressed and slipped into a silk nightgown. Then, rolling back the fine satin covers, the Lady from Mercury fell into her bed and drifted in dream.

-----

It was no easy task for the young man to accomplish, nor would it be to any who endeavored to attempt it.

Upon seeing a beautiful young woman, a man's heart may fly away, but as easy as it is to lose his heart, getting her to return his love is especially difficult. It is an even more difficult task when the lass is a high-born lady who could have her pick in men. This was what he struggled with, though it seemed to be getting easier over the past few weeks.

Other than the royal estates, his home, a city nestled in snowdrifts, was among the finest civilizations on Mercury. Icilia was it's name, so called for the magnificent ice and snow that covered its grounds all year. It had always been a favorite escape for the King and Queen. For this reason, young men living there had an advantage over others in the nation, of seeing the Princess that is. And Toshi had an even greater advantage above them: he was the son of the Duke who governed the town. But still, competing for the heart of a coy princess was trying on a man's soul. But, oh, how he loved her.

_More than anything..._

He looked out upon the drifts of soft white snow. _Somehow, dear Princess, I will make you mine. That is my promise._

A selfish promise, perhaps, but something inside him made him feel strong and determined.

"I love you, Ami," he whispered to the falling snow. "I know we could be wonderful together. I know I could make you happy. Please let me try, dear Princess..."

The falling flakes offered no answer to his request. Just the gentle breeze that they rested upon and a silence unique only to the moment.

-----

The greatest hardship a person can befall is to love someone who does not return that love. It is the soul's tragedy.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Decision --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prince Endymion stood quietly waiting for the queen's response. Standing in that vast room, a room so grand that it made even royalty seem insignificant, made the prince tense, yet no less eager to receive the queen's decision for his proposal. Such waiting was to be expected for contemplating a proposition of this proportion. It is a wonder she should consider it at all, the prince thought, and it truly was a wonder considering the following circumstances.

Some time before, Prince Endymion happened upon a fair princess named Serenity. Instantly she danced away with his heart. With all of his existence he loved her, and he knew she felt the same. It seemed logical that the two should become married and live together in happiness. If of a lower class and citizens of the same village this senario would have worked out beautifully, but such was not the case.

One problem stood in their way, a problem as big and as difficult as a wall of ice that stood between them: Prince Endymion was an Earthling, and Princess Serenity was a Lunar. All contact between the two races had been forbidden. The lovers were separated by two kingdoms who had never and should never converse. Who knew what kind of uprising would result of this joining? To ask for her hand in marriage was certainly a bold thing to do.

That is why the prince felt uneasy watching intently as the Lunar queen considered his proposal. His eyes followed as the silver queen took idle steps closer to the window gazing out over the vast domain her family had ruled for millennia past.

Queen Selenity stared out at the palace gardens, a thoughtful glitter in her eye. She was not surprised at the prince's request to marry her daughter. It was easily seen that the love they shared could not be separated forever, even if for past eternities it had. I should have guessed. It was only a matter of time before the confines of this realm would test her curiosity, the queen thought, smiling.

Selenity was, however, carefully thinking over the idea he had just proposed to unite the two worlds and how it would affect their kingdoms. For long, the Moon was only to admire the Earth from a distance, to look after its welfare and keep harm from scorching its beauty. She knew that the rulers of the past Moon would not approve of this joining together, but this was a new age. The Moon is in it's prime, the Silver Millennium... Surely nothing wicked could come out of something that seemed fated by the stars. A small smile fell over the queen's face. She slowly turned, her decision made.

"Prince Endymion, I understand your eagerness to tie our realms. Your reasons for an alliance do appeal to me, and I think both of our kingdoms will benefit from this tie. I would, however, like you to know more of the other planetary kingdoms. They are as much a part of this ordeal as the Moon Kingdom, almost more so. Serenity's guardians are very important to this kingdom, and I think you should know more of them. I would also like to know of your allies as well, before we establish a permanent tie."

"Your Highness, I would greatly enjoy meeting the other planets' leaders. I understand that knowing all of what this joining will accomplish is most important, and I am willing to take the time to be prepared. As for your second request, the Earth has been an independent planet for centuries, only being looked over by your fine land. If it pleases her Highness, I have four guardians whom I believe would appeal to your curiosity. They are the commanders of the Earth's army and my personal guardians, such as the Planetary Princesses are Princess Serenity's protectors. I suppose you could call them my allies."

"Excellent! We shall arrange an event so that you may become accustomed to the other planets of the solar system, and that we may announce your intention to betroth the princess."

"Your Highness, I must return home to announce the news to my kingdom. I will need a week to arrange things with my family and I shall return with my guardians."

"Very well. I shall need some time, too, to announce what will happen. You will report back to me in seven days, at which point we will discuss your proposal."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Prince Endymion bowed in resignation to the queen, then rose and walked swiftly out of the room, looking to tell Princess Serenity the good news.

-----

"Mars! Come quick! Jupiter! Venus! Mercury! Hurry!"

A tornado of fine white silk and silver ribbons made a mad dash down the corridor. Two flowing white-blonde pigtails blew rapidly out from the mess of skirts. Servants carrying out daily chores stopped briefly to watch the princess canter away, leaving many with puzzled faces.

"Venus! Venus, Mercury! Everyone, hurry! Mars! Mars!"

Running from a room at the end of the hallway, a flustered group of princesses came one by one, first red, then gold, then blue, then green. All shared the same look of worry dashing out, but when their gazes fell upon Princess Serenity, their expressions changed from worry to puzzlement: worry because of the frantic yelps, puzzlement because of the smile that played upon Serenity's lips. Blankly, the four guardians stared as the silver mass composed herself back into a princess, a little flustered, but no less the beauty that she was.

"Serenity?" Venus ventured, coming around and placing a hand on the Princess's shoulder. "What, um, is something wrong? Are you all right?"

At that Princess Serenity began to giggle, putting the guardians into even more of a perplexity. "Oh, I'm wonderful, Minako-chan. Oh! I'm so excited I don't know where to begin!" Still panting, the princess placed a hand on her chest and reached with her other arm to Venus's shoulder.

"Well, the beginning would be a good place to start." Mars crossed her arms over her stomach and gave Serenity a teasingly quizzical look.

"First, let's bring you inside. It's a little odd to carry on a conversation in a corridor," Mercury said. She quickly and gracefully swept around and held open the marble door. A broad smile spanned her face, as if she were welcoming Serenity into her own home. Princess Serenity gratefully accepted Mercury's offer and, with Venus leading her, stepped through the door and into a lovely sitting room. Serenity giggled uncontrollably. Mars sat on the edge of a chair, but the others were too anxious to sit down.

"Well?" Jupiter asked excitedly. "What's the good news?"

Serenity threw her arms around Jupiter's neck began crying joyfully. "She said yes! She gave us her blessing and said yes!"

"Who said yes to what?" Mars queried, standing now.

"The queen, my mother, she agreed with Endymion's proposal!"

"Oh, Serenity! Congratulations!" Venus squealed. She attacked both Serenity and Princess Jupiter with a warm embrace.

Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter shared mixed feelings of joy and doubt. Nevertheless they wore stunning countenances and only congratulated their mistress. They laughed and chatted with the princess until a servant appeared and announced that Queen Selenity had called for her daughter.

Venus still rang with joy after Serenity departed. "This is going to be so wonderful! Oh, I've got to go tell Artemis!" With that, the princess from Venus shot past the others and out the door. It had not occurred to her that Artemis, being one of the queen's chief advisors, had known of the news long before she had.

The remaining three princesses stood silently for several moments. Then, with few words of parting, each left the room with troubled hearts.

-----

Silence had decided to grace the room with her serene presence. The young king sat alone reading a book. Oh, how he loved moments such as these, lost within the worn pages of a leather-bound book. Usually the young man delighted in reading his homeland's rich history, or a study of politics, or a report on various sciences. Today, though, Zoisite had chosen a book of poems, a secret that he fiercely guarded. Always trying to look like the intellect of the group, it would cause him deep embarrassment if the others learned of his weakness for poetry. They would never give him rest if they learned of his secret love for poetry. He could just imagine them. 'What's this, buttercup? Poetry? What would the military do to learn that their commander is daisy?' Jadeite, of course, would be the first to humiliate him. Such was his delight.

The team of kings was a perfect blend. Kunzite was the strong and silent guardian, much of a father figure, but he did know how to join in on the fun that they shared. Jadeite portrayed a young boy, so full of life and energy. He delighted in teasing his comrades, especially in making them feel old--he was the second youngest one and thought of this as a great advantage. Nephrite was, as Jadeite often put it, a "softie." He cared deeply for the people he loved and the things he believed in. He was fun-loving and enjoyed taking part in Jadeite's schemes to tease and poke fun at the other generals. Endymion was their prince, the one that the four kings' lives revolved around. Aside from Jadeite, Endymion was the most mischievous and schemeful of the five. He saw the others as brothers more than as guardians. This sometimes annoyed Kunzite, especially when he was trying to instruct the young prince.

Zoisite turned a page and continued the epic set before him. It was then that he heard footsteps outside his door. Quickly Zoisite jumped up and ran into his bedroom. He carefully tucked the book under his mattress and smoothed out the blue sheets. He hadn't been fast enough.

"Zoisite? What are you doing?" A familiar voice called. Kunzite threw his cloak over a hook by the door and gracefully flopped onto the sofa. The calm light of late afternoon played upon Kunzite's silver hair. Shadows fell around him, cast by the black trunks and twisted arms of trees that looked down upon the patio that the large French doors opened upon. The doors sat open now, and the tired king looked out into the orange portrait dotted with black trees and shrubs. He sat in a high-ceilinged room with four quarters leading out from it. Those were the four kings' rooms, each different, each reflecting that man's interests--one a cool grey, one a warm red, one a pale green, and one a thoughtful blue. The prince's quarters were in a separate room across the hall.

Zoisite calmly smoothed out the wrinkles in his white jacket, took a deep breath, and tried to scramble a story to tell Kunzite.

"Oh, hello, Kunzite-san." Zoisite walked across the room and situated himself on a seat diagonal from his friend. "I was just startled to hear footsteps..."

Smooth, Zoisite, very smooth, he told himself silently.

"In a palace filled with numerous people, you were startled to hear footsteps?" Kunzite raised his brow quizzically. "And not only startled, but surprised enough to run from one room into another?"

Damn, Zoisite thought. "Well..."

Just then, the door from the hall flew open and a third general stood in its place.

"Hello, Jadeite," Zoisite exclaimed, perhaps a little too relieved.

"Konnichiwa! Zoi-san, Kunzite-san." He gave a small bow of his head to each of the two men as he greeted them. "Come, we're needed in the throne room." He made a gesture with his hand signaling that they must hurry.

"The throne room?"

"Yes, quickly."

Jadeite seemed too excited for it to be a serious matter they were engaging themselves in, but as to what it was, the two young men were baffled. Nothing with the king and queen, Zoisite thought. The prince was their responsibility, so the matter would have to center on Endymion. He had just returned from a journey to the Moon. Perhaps...

The two men rose from their comfortable positions and followed their friend down the granite hallway and into a new future. 


	3. Chapter 2, Part 1

Chapter 2: Realization and Rejoicing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A black-haired man was to marry a white-haired girl.

A prince has found his prize at last... Kunzite chuckled in the soft morning light. The ordeal had been an interesting one. A bit more dramatic than he cared for, but interesting none the less.

The Prince had been standing awaiting the arrival of his parents from their chambers; his four guardians beaming by his side, although they were baffled as to what they should be beaming about. The Prince looked happy enough, so they figured that they should be just so.

The King and Queen entered and stood before their son waiting for an explanation or a description or anything to describe what he needed to say. But when his mouth opened, the four shitennou tried in agony to control their snickering. His journey to the Moon had been no secret, and from his appearance and manor, one could already tell the secret he held. But the Prince didn't seem to think so. To him, no one could have guessed his delightful news. Unfortunately, everyone already had.

In his mind he had prepared a script. A speech of how he loved a Lunar Princess and how he felt proud taking her hand in marriage. It was a fairly decent speech, a bit slushy in places, but the guardians laughed only because they knew the young man too well. It was not his style to give speeches. The King and Queen must have sensed this too, but did their best to sound delightfully surprised.

Just thinking back to the look on Endymion's face brought laughter to Kunzite, and much needed laughter at that. He had always been the father figure of the five, establishing order and rule. He had not been particularly fond of the fact that his prince should fall for a princess who did not belong to his kingdom, or to his planet for that matter. But now that the deal was tied he felt more at ease. And who am I to question my King's decision?

"Kunzite-san?"

The familiar voice broke his train of thought, annoying him slightly. An auburn-haired young man stepped beside Kunzite on the ledge and focused his gaze to the tree-topped hills.

"Still thinking of His Majesty's decision?" Nephrite always had a way of knowing what someone was thinking. A special power he claimed he had not. "Just careful guessing," he'd say.

"Can you blame me?"

"Well, no, but I'm just curious as to what your opinions are of this situation."

"You mean you don't know?" Kunzite turned to look at his friend, a challenging tease on his face. Nephrite glanced back, accepting the challenge.

"Well... You are more than likely displeased with their conclusion, anxious to know more of what the prince has really gotten himself into, and somewhat settled now that a final decision has been made."

_Damn. How does he do that?_ Kunzite thought. Once again he had guessed and once again he had guessed correctly. Kunzite did not easily share feelings, nor did he delight in spilling his mind to others. It somewhat surprised him that someone should know that he was excited. _Anxious..._ In a week they were to follow His Majesty to the Moon and meet strange new people, and the grey-eyed man could not help but feel excited.

"Now that we know what I think, how do you feel? And I don't like to guess."

"I feel...relieved. And excited. We are to meet a race of beings that for long we could only dare to dream about. What do you think they're like?"

"Oh, like us. Only from another world."

"I suppose..."

For a moment the two felt like small boys about to enter a new place, a world much larger than themselves. Then Kunzite sighed heavily and left his perch on the ledge. Nephrite stayed and viewed the horizon beginning to bleed with the morning sun, wondering what that distant Lunar landscape might look like.

-----

The red walls were unusually shadowed today, despite the furious glow of the fire. The fire itself was not it's usual either. The flames twisted and lashed out maliciously, as if trying to devour whomever should come near. For this reason the girl's raven hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of her neck. A few singed strands hung by her sweat-covered face.

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen..."

She should be on another planet, in another palace, helping Her Majesty prepare for the massive event that was to take place in a week. The meeting of the Earthlings... But she still did not feel at ease. For days she had gone without a vision: a sure sign that there was nothing to worry about, for if something was wrong, surely her insight would tell, but from the moment she had learned that her Mistress had fallen in love with a forbidden man, the violet-eyed girl had felt a deep feeling in her chest, one that said, "Something is not right." It was well known that contact between Lunars and Earthlings was strictly prohibited, but that was not the reason for the strange feelings she felt. It was something else, something deeper.

But it can't be just nerves. The flames are rising and they never lie...

"Princess?"

Rei was annoyed that her consentration had been broken. She reluctantly turned to see a blue-donned lady standing in the doorway. The site of her guardian was always a lovely one. Rei loved her two raven friends. They were in authority over her, but the three had become very close as the Martian Princess was growing up.

"Pardon me, Lady, but you are needed at the Lunar Palace soon. Phobos and I shall be accompanying you. You are to be in the Meditation Room in half an hour."

"Thank you, Deimos."

The bird-woman bowed slightly before leaving the room, and Rei was left alone in thought again. The days slipped by regardless to how much she tried to hold on to them. In four days she was to meet the strangers from Earth.

Rei stood up and held her gaze on the lashing flames for a moment, then she turned and headed to her chambers, knowing that in a short time she was to be on another planet preparing to meet the ones who had caused her all this strife.


End file.
